Survivors Planner: Survivors Benefits For Your Widow Or Widower

You probably know people who are receiving Social Security survivors benefits because they're a widow or widower. At present, there are about 5 million widows and widowers receiving monthly Social Security benefits based on their deceased spouse's earnings record. And, for many of those survivors, particularly aged women, those benefits are keeping them out of poverty.

benefits as early as age 50 if they're disabled AND their disability started before or within seven years of your death.

Note: If a widow or widower who is caring for your children receives Social Security benefits, they're still eligible if their disability starts before those payments end or within seven years after they end.

Widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses cannot apply online for survivors benefits. If they want to apply for disability benefits on your record, they should contact Social Security at
1-800-772-1213 to request an appointment. (If they are deaf or hard of hearing, they should call our TTY number,
1-800-325-0778.)

They can speed up the application process if they complete an Adult Disability Report and have it available at the time of their appointment.